The second wave of COVID-19 is being touted as the more dangerous one. With daily cases reaching a record 2,00,000 a day, multiple states have imposed varying restrictions on movement across the country, amidst continuing various religious “festivities” like Kumbh. While social media websites are filled with requests for beds, oxygen supply and the like, as can be seen here and here, the increasing numbers are worrying many health experts.
At this crematorium in Surat, in the last few days, 100-115 bodies have been arriving for cremation everyday. Otherwise, on an average day, they get 20-25 cremations. Their exhaust chimneys are melting because the gas furnaces are burning 24/7. [v @bbcnewsgujarati] pic.twitter.com/aI97OtuO3E
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) April 15, 2021
As of April 14, Gujarat reported its highest spike in a day with over 7,400 new COVID-19 cases. As per the same report, the deaths caused by the coronavirus has also reached a new peak with 73 recorded in 24 hours.
Although a similar trend is being noticed in other parts of the country, crematoriums in Gujarat are especially facing a dire shortage of space as people wait for their turns to bury their loved ones. Amidst the shortage of beds and oxygen supply, ambulances queueing outside hospitals due to hospitals running out of beds, the health infrastructure in Gujarat is overwhelmed and overburdened.
Social media websites, like Twitter, are filled with queries and requests for Remdivisir, a life-saving drug used to treat critical COVID-19 patients. Amidst this, controversies are arising surrounding the shortage and distribution of the drug in Gujarat and the underreporting of cases.
For anyone looking for information about Remdivisir, these Twitter threads, here and here, might contain sources that might help you out.